Device for compelling a gyroscope to remain vertical



C. MELLIER April 23, :1940.

DEVICE FOR COMPELLING A GYRCSCOPE TO REMAIN VERTICAL Filed April 17, 1939 Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES DEVICE FOR COMPELLING A GYROSCOPE TO REMAIN VERTICAL Claudius Mellier, Ville dAvray, France, assignor to Socit Industrielle de Mcanique et de MatrieldfEquipement, Suresnes, France Application April 17, 1939, Serial No. 268,445 In Luxemburg February 8, 1939 Claims.

The invention has for its object a device for compelling a gyroscope to. remain vertical.

The device according to the invention essentially comprises two balls of different diameters 5 which both rest freely on the bottom of a cup which is coaxial with the axis of the gyroscope and is rotated about said axis at a substantially uniform speed, the larger ball forming an inclination detecting ball, and being kept in the central region of said cup by an annular guard which only allows it to effect a limited radial displacement in all directions and the diameters of the two balls being such that when the detectlng ball is exactly in the centre of the cup it defines with the lateralwall of same a circular path along which the other ball can circulate freely whereas when it is in contact with any point of said guard the space between said detecting ball and the lateral wall of the cup is less than that required for the free passage of the peripheral ball. a

By way of a non-limitativc example, an embodiment of the control device according to the invention has been shown diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a general plan View of the device with the upper wall partly broken away;

' Fig. 2 is a vertical section along the line II-II of Fig- Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrammatical plan views, the balls being shown in section, along a plane passing through the two centres, and said figures respectively show the position of the balls in the case in which the axis'of rotation of the device is absolutely vertical and in that in which it is inclined.

In this embodiment, the device comprises a cup I, the bottom of which carries a central vertical 40 pivot 2 and in the upper part of which. is screwed a'plate 3 carrying a second central vertical pivot 4. This unit is mountedbetween two plates, not shown, which are carried by the gyroscope perpendicular to the axis of its rotor, the pivots 2 and 4 being held by saidplates coaxially with larger ball 1 is kept in the central region of the cup by its upper part whichis engaged with a slight clearance in a cavity 9 of the plate 3 which thus forms an annular guard that only allows of slight radial displacements of the central ball I I. The ball 8 is located in the annular space limited by the central ball and the lateral wall of-the cup I. The dimensions are such that when the central ball I is exactly in the centre'of the cup I (Figs. 1 to 3), the peripheral ball 8 is free I. to circulate in said annular space without touching the ball I, but when the ball I is in contact with the edge of the cavity 9 (Fig. 4), the space between said ball I and the lateral wall of the cup I is less than that required for the free passage 15 of the peripheral ball 8.

The operation is as follows:

When the axis of rotation of the cup I is absolutely vertical and said cup is rotated at a uniform speed, the ball 8 participates in the rotary It movement of the cup I and rotates about the central ball l which remains exactly in' the centre of the cup. If the axis of rotation becomes slightly inclined the central ball l immediately falls in the direction of this inclination (Fig. 4) and ,the peripheral ball 8 can then no longer be carried along in the direction of the movement beyond a certain position of equilibrium in front of the plane of inclination of the axis. By suitably proportioning the diameters, it is possible an to make this position of equilibrium fall in front of the plane of inclination of the axis. The

force of gravity on the eccentrically located ball 8 produces a restoring couple and the axis of the gyroscope rotor is thus returned to its vertical position. The position of equilibrium of the ball 5 corresponding to the production of the restoring couple is at I in Fig. 4 when the cup I rotates in the direction of ,f and at I]; when the cup rotates w in the direction of f1.

Of course the invention is in' no way limited to the constructional details illustrated or described, which have only been given by way of example.

What I claim is:

1. In the combination of a gyroscope with means carried thereby and arranged to compel said gyroscope rotor to remain vertical, said means including a cup shaped member coaxial 50 with the gyroscope and supported to be rotatable about its axis, means carried by the gyroscope for rotating said cup-member at a substantially uniform speed, two balls free to roll on the bottom of said cup and having different diameters'such u vcentral ball is in contact with said' guard meanssaid passageway is thereby locally restricted to" such an extent that the smaller ball cannot any longer run through said restricted part of the passageway.

2. In the combination as in claim 1, said cup shaped member having a bottom the inner face of which is smooth and plane and a cylindrical lateral Wall the inner face of which is smooth.

3. In the combination as in claim 1, the diameters of said balls being experimentally determined so that an' inclination of the gyroscope rotor axis in any direction the smaller ball will be locked against the cup-shaped member by the central ball in a position located at 90 forwardly of the vertical plane containing said inclined axis.

4. In the combination as in claim 1, said cup shaped member externally carrying axial pivots and a ring of gear teeth.

5. In the combination as claimed in claim 1 said 'cup shaped member having a bottom the inner face 'of which is smooth and plane,

CLAUDIUS MELLIER. 

